The community responds

Wednesday

Mar 26, 2014 at 12:01 AMMar 28, 2014 at 8:43 PM

By Steven Bollock, Kara Baylog and Bayla Greenspoon of Siskiyou Land TrustThe Siskiyou Land Trust (SLT) is dedicated to sustainability – the preservation of lands that are critical to the balance of a healthy ecosystem. It is obvious how farmlands, ranch lands, forests and waterways all play an important part in our physical sustenance. Sisson Meadow, though, is something a little different but equally vital. It provides soulful sustenance, a somewhat intangible but critical factor in our mental health and spiritual well-being.Sisson Meadow lies near our center, the heart of our community, and represents something essential to many of us. Yes, it is habitat for wildlife, and yes, it is a precious piece of wetlands which has value in the beauty of its being. But beyond that, it is a refuge and sanctuary for young and old who enjoy and derive meaning from open spaces. The boardwalk and the benches are “tools” that help nurture us as we stroll or sit and gaze at the mountain while listening to the birdsong.When the Sisson Meadow was vandalized, our efforts at sustainability were hurt, badly. Being sustainable means considering how our actions will impact everything and everyone around us. When we behave sustainably, we reduce waste, yet the vandals created more of it and also demonstrated that they don’t care how all of the people and other beings (plants and animals) would be hurt by this destruction.On the other hand, this horrible situation has shown just how resilient and caring our community is! The SLT has been inundated with kind words of encouragement, offers of labor, money and materials to repair that which was damaged. There seems to be a visceral sense of personal violation and desire to respond in a powerful way. This response is indicative of an inherent drive to give energy back to that which feeds us… body, heart, mind and soul. We are going to do something about the damage and harm by offering support and the wherewithal to heal. That is the true mark ofsustainability!Three juveniles have been arrested for the high school vandalism and as yet it’s unclear if they were involved in the meadow damage. We now put out a call to our high school kids to volunteer, get involved and show the community that the majority of our young people do care about the place they live!SLT is proud to be a part of a community where sustainability is prized, and we look forward to engaging with our neighbors as we overcome this hardship. We thank all of you who have contributed and supported the Sisson Meadow and SLT over the years.

By Steven Bollock, Kara Baylog and Bayla Greenspoon of Siskiyou Land Trust
The Siskiyou Land Trust (SLT) is dedicated to sustainability – the preservation of lands that are critical to the balance of a healthy ecosystem. It is obvious how farmlands, ranch lands, forests and waterways all play an important part in our physical sustenance. Sisson Meadow, though, is something a little different but equally vital. It provides soulful sustenance, a somewhat intangible but critical factor in our mental health and spiritual well-being.
Sisson Meadow lies near our center, the heart of our community, and represents something essential to many of us. Yes, it is habitat for wildlife, and yes, it is a precious piece of wetlands which has value in the beauty of its being. But beyond that, it is a refuge and sanctuary for young and old who enjoy and derive meaning from open spaces. The boardwalk and the benches are “tools” that help nurture us as we stroll or sit and gaze at the mountain while listening to the birdsong.
When the Sisson Meadow was vandalized, our efforts at sustainability were hurt, badly. Being sustainable means considering how our actions will impact everything and everyone around us. When we behave sustainably, we reduce waste, yet the vandals created more of it and also demonstrated that they don’t care how all of the people and other beings (plants and animals) would be hurt by this destruction.
On the other hand, this horrible situation has shown just how resilient and caring our community is! The SLT has been inundated with kind words of encouragement, offers of labor, money and materials to repair that which was damaged. There seems to be a visceral sense of personal violation and desire to respond in a powerful way. This response is indicative of an inherent drive to give energy back to that which feeds us… body, heart, mind and soul. We are going to do something about the damage and harm by offering support and the wherewithal to heal. That is the true mark of
sustainability!
Three juveniles have been arrested for the high school vandalism and as yet it’s unclear if they were involved in the meadow damage. We now put out a call to our high school kids to volunteer, get involved and show the community that the majority of our young people do care about the place they live!
SLT is proud to be a part of a community where sustainability is prized, and we look forward to engaging with our neighbors as we overcome this hardship. We thank all of you who have contributed and supported the Sisson Meadow and SLT over the years.